Slowly but surely, Dallas is becoming epicenter of American Athletic Conference, with HQ move in the cards

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SMU defensive back Shakiel Randolph walks across the AAC logo as the Mustangs prepare for their first game in the in American Athletic Conference NCAA football game against Rutgers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, October 5, 2013. Mike Stone/Special Contributor Special to The Dallas Morning News. MANDATORY CREDIT, NO SALES, MAGS OUT, TV OUT, INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY

When it was announced that Wichita State would be joining the American Athletic Conference in April 2017, it didn't take long for the Shockers to make their presence known in their new markets.

Billboards promoting the university popped up around Dallas-Fort Worth within days of the realignment announcement, with the yellow cartoon mascot in a black sweater encouraging Texans to apply to WSU.

"Our traction as an institution is the I-35, the I-35 corridor," Wichita State athletic director Darron Boatright said. "In our opinion, it felt natural for us to join the American to gain regionalized partnerships."

The conference as a whole shares similar feelings about the value of the D-FW market.

Boatright was in Dallas this week along with the rest of the American's athletic directors and executives for the league's annual meetings. It's the first of several moments revolving around North Texas for the conference.

The most important move will be a actual one, as the American plans to relocate to Dallas when its lease on offices in Providence, R.I., expires in two years.

"Dallas has become almost the epicenter of college football. I've made no bones about it, we're planning to move our conference offices here," Commissioner Mike Aresco said. "We think we belong closer to more of our schools. We've got a school [SMU] here, which means people are coming in all the time."

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The American will be bringing one of its marquee events to the area soon, too. The men's basketball tournament will take place at the currently-under-construction Dickies Arena in Fort Worth from 2020-22.

"I think that will be a home run because Wichita, Tulsa, Memphis, they can all drive. Houston people can either drive or have a short flight," Aresco explained. "SMU's already here, and they've got a great program. I think just Wichita alone will bring an unbelievable amount of people."

But like many conferences, the American hangs its hopes on football. And for that, the move to Dallas makes sense, too.

The College Football Playoff's headquarters are in Irving. The Big 12 and Conference USA are based here. Four bowls take place in D-FW each year. So the proximity to power players in the sport is a powerful draw for the American.

"I think our central location, two airports, all the things Dallas has to offer, it makes a lot of sense," SMU athletic director Rick Hart said. "All the things we enjoy about Dallas, I think others are discovering that it's beneficial to them as well."

A foothold in the market with SMU's presence and that of the alumni of other institutions will come in handy when the American begins its negotiations for a television deal. The AAC's current one expires following the 2018-19 seasons.

The conference has schools in several major media markets such as Temple in Philadelphia, the third largest market in the country. Dallas-Fort Worth gives the American a second top-five market, followed by Houston at No. 7.

"You've got a lot of big markets, and even the smaller schools are well-known nationally," Aresco said. "Dallas certainly is one of the key places for us."